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Friday, December 27, 2013

Christmas 2013

What a wonderful Christmas we had this year! We got to see our family & friends, exchange gifts, eat lots of food, & have an all-around awesome time!

Christmas Eve started at the Ridley’s for dinner with roast beef sandwiches and potato soup before heading to church. After church we made a quick stop at my uncle’s house which just happens to be right down the street from the Ridley’s church so it works out well. About 9 we headed back to Joe’s parents’ house for our gift exchange. We always get matching pj’s every year & this years were so cute!! Us kids did a gift exchange which went over great, we got a lot of laughs out of it & some really fun gifts. Joe’s parents got all of us ENO hammocks which my litter sis-in-law said she saw on my blog & told her mom about! We were all excited! After all of the gifts were exchanged we got our Coke’s in glass bottles & listened to Joe’s dad read Christmas stories, one of my favorite traditions on Christmas Eve. This year was a very special year because all of us were together for Christmas. This was the first time in 10 years that all of the Ridley kids were home, together, with their spouses/kids, & it was wonderful. Now that Joe’s brother Jon, who is in the Air Force, is recruiting in Lafayette Indiana, they are only three hours away & we get to see them all the time now. It’s been a huge blessing!

Christmas morning Joe and I got up and exchanged gifts. I got my bar cart, a Harley Davidson sweatshirt, a gift card for Skin Dimensions, & some décor from West Elm. I got Joe an oak whiskey barrel from Uncommon Goodss & he loved it! He was so surprised & happy. He can make his own homemade whiskey now which he’s been talking about forever. I also got him a ukulele, & some movies & other random stocking stuffers. We headed back over to his parents’ house to watch our nephew & niece open their gifts from Santa. They are 6 & 7 & still so excited about Santa, it’s so much fun!

The rest of the day was spent at my mom’s where we ate a huge breakfast & opened gifts, followed by several other stops to my dad’s, aunt’s, Grandma Ridley’s, & Jessica & Mike’s. We finally got home around 5:30 or so. We were so exhausted. The house is an absolute wreck of boxes, wrapping paper, & general disarray, but I am so thankful for such a wonderful Christmas. This year did not disappoint at all. Getting everything & more, being with our entire families, & enjoying a beautiful Christmas Eve & Day was all I could really ever ask for.

I hope everyone had a wonderful & blessed Christmas this year. We are still hoping for one more special gift from Santa which would really put the cherry on top of an already amazing Christmas & would be such a great way to start off 2014!

Hi! My name is Elena. I'm a small town girl who fought a long hard battle to beat infertility and become a mother. Married, mama to Georgia June our donor egg IVF miracle. Lover of good wine, good friends, and good conversation.